Quinoa pronounced KEEN-WAH

There are many nutrients in the modern diet that people tend to be lacking in.

This is particularly true of some minerals…especially Magnesium, Potassium, Zinc and (for women) Iron.

Interestingly, quinoa is very high in all 4 minerals. It is particularly high in magnesium, with one cup having about 30% of the recommended daily amount.

The problem is that quinoa contains a substance called phytic acid, which can bind these minerals and reduce their absorption.

However, by soaking and/or sprouting the quinoa before cooking it, you can reduce the phytic acid content and make these minerals more bio-available.

Most dinners I plan days in advance but with this one that was NOT the case. I literally threw things together that were in my pantry and quite honestly I got lucky with the outcome!

I always keep quinoa, beans and sweet potatoes on hand and I bought a pre-made butternut squash soup that I had been meaning to play around with. I found it in the same section where you would buy broth.

If you’re in the mood for something easy, protein-packed and filled with carotenoids, here you go!